Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar ended her Democratic presidential campaign on Monday and plans to endorse rival Joe Biden to unify moderate voters behind the former vice president’s White House bid.
What We Know:
- The departure of Klobuchar, and former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg a day earlier, leaves a chunk of the vote up for grabs across 14 states holding primaries on Tuesday. Klobuchar and Buttigieg’s presence in the race threatened to sap delegates from Biden, who narrowly trails Sen. Bernie Sanders in the national delegate race after four contests.
- Klobuchar tried to carve out space in the Democratic primary field by running on a more moderate platform than many of her rivals and touting her ability to appeal to Midwestern voters. But the third-term senator from Minnesota struggled to gain a foothold in a crowded field despite a flash of early success.
- Klobuchar frequently touted her record for winning in Trump districts in Minnesota, a practice she vowed to continue on the national stage. “I have won every race, every place, every time,” she would tell voters repeatedly at campaign events.
- Klobuchar had trouble maintaining what campaign staffers had dubbed her “Klomentum,” coming in sixth in both Nevada caucuses and the South Carolina primary.
- Klobuchar was one of four female senators seeking the Democrat nomination. Her withdrawal leaves Warren as the last female senator standing.
- Klobuchar’s exit from the race means that none of the major Democratic party contenders are younger than 70. Biden, Sanders, Mike Bloomberg, and Elizabeth Warren remain.
- Biden denied there was an organized effort around the dropouts, telling NBC News that “there is no official policy to try and talk other people out of the race. I think that’s a judgment for them to make. I’d resent being told, you know, well let’s consolidate, you get out.”
She continued to rack up endorsements even as her campaign struggled, getting the backing of newspapers including the Houston Chronicle, The Seattle Times, and the New Hampshire Union Leader.
